Electricity

Question 1

Enlightenment period

Answer 1

1730-1790

Question 2

Priestly and electricity

Answer 2

claims if you master the matter, your status rises

acknowledged that it is very useful for impressing others

Question 3

when did study of electricity start properly?

Answer 3

2nd half of 18th c.

Question 4

What were they more interested in in 17th c.

Answer 4

magnetism- looked at attractive and repulsive properties

Question 5

How were theories in electricity developed?

Answer 5

as a result of observation of new phenomena after creating equipment to demonstrate to public

Question 6

Air pump made by

Answer 6

Robert Boyle in 1660’s

actually made by Robert Hooke=poor and “invisible assistants”

Question 7

What is an air pump

Answer 7

large glass globe which can be evacuated, forming a vacuum

Question 8

What was Boyle famous for?

Answer 8

Advances in chem, air pump

Praised for religious commitment by peers

Question 9

Why could Boyle do experiments?

Answer 9

had enough money to do whatever he wanted- did it out of interest & curiosity

Question 10

What did Boyle do with the airpump?

Answer 10

Placed barometers inside to prove a vacuum had been made

Question 11

What was everyone interested during 18th c.

Answer 11

Phosphorescence- glowing things

Question 12

Barometric glow

Answer 12

purple light seen above mercury after barometer is shaken

Used as theatrical demonstration at Royal Society

Question 13

Francis Hauksbee

Answer 13

Experimental assistant at Royal Society

-created demonstrations to show to fellows every week, so he could improve the design of the air pump

Question 14

What did Hauksbee achieve?

Answer 14

Could produce a ‘shower of fire’ by passing air through mercury in a vacuum
Then discovered glow could be achieved by rubbing objects together in the globe

Question 15

Hauksbee’s new machine

Answer 15

Glass globe mounted on spindle, then when hand placed on it, bright purple light produced

Question 16

What were the scientific advances from the electrical machine?

Answer 16

Newton spotted it was linked with electricity

But Hauksbee didn’t realise significance and died a few years later

Question 17

Stephen Gray

Answer 17

Learned about spinning globe from Philosophical Transactions (published by RS)
Made fellow of RS in 1730

Question 18

What did Gray achieve?

Answer 18

Saw feathers were attracted to corks at either end of electric tube- electrical charge can be transmitted
Demonstrated to RS, but theoretical background ignored

Question 19

Electrical machine used around Europe

Answer 19

Device altered, but performers and people studying theory were the same. So not much progress made

Question 20

Benjamin Rackstrow

Answer 20

Replicated ‘Beatification’ using electric machine- make a crown of light around someone’s head by electrocution

Question 21

Natural Philosophers’ opinion of electrical performances

Answer 21

disagreed with financial gain involved, but ended up joining in as needed to fund their own research

Question 22

Leyden Jar function

Answer 22

creates larger charges and can store them

Question 23

How was the leyden jar made

Answer 23

trial and error experiments

-Pieter van Musschenbroek accidentally made huge electric shock, then told colleague how to make ita

Question 24

How leyden jar works

Answer 24

metal rod touching spinning glass jar and dips into glass with water, charge stored
To be electrocuted must touch jar and rod

Question 25

Popularity of leyden jar

Answer 25

people flocked and paid money to experience electrocution

Question 26

Adam Walker did what

Answer 26

used electrical experiments to demonstrate theoretical concepts & engage audience

Question 27

What was going on by the end of the century

Answer 27

proper experiments with proper equipment to find out what’s going on eg Coulomb

Question 28

What experiments did Coulomb do?

Answer 28

Torsion balance to show Newton’s inverse square law can be applied to electricity

Question 29

What experiments did Cavendish do?

Answer 29

created a ‘torpedo’ to replicate effects of electric fish, did maths to work out numbers